Where Is South Kalimantan's Thick Haze Coming From?

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – A thick haze has engulfed regions of South Kalimantan over the past few days, curtailing visibility and disrupting daily life for residents. Social media has been flooded with images and videos depicting the extent of the haze. However, the origin of this haze and the factors contributing to its worsening are not immediately apparent.

The haze is believed to be emanating from forest and land fires burning on peatlands in various South Kalimantan areas, as per the South Kalimantan Forestry Service. Fathimatuzzahra, the head of the Forestry Service, explained that the recent thick haze has primarily impacted Landasan Ulin and Liang Anggang in Banjarbaru City, as well as Bati Bati in Tanah Laut Regency.

Fathimatuzzahra highlighted that these areas are peatlands prone to fires. She elaborated that the smoldering fires beneath the surface can be difficult to extinguish, as they can continue burning even when flames are no longer visible, causing the smoke to linger and spread, particularly during dry spells.

The South Kalimantan Forestry Service has been actively engaged in firefighting and suppression efforts to contain the fires and alleviate the haze. This operation involves provincial and regency Disaster Management Agencies (BPBDs), Manggala Agni firefighting teams, and private fire suppression groups. However, the height of the dry season has exacerbated firefighting challenges by restricting water availability.

To address this, the Forestry Service is collaborating with the Public Works and Public Housing Agency to supply water into canals within protected forest areas for firefighting use. Additionally, several mining companies are aiding the effort by deploying firefighting teams and equipment, following BPBD coordination.

The current haze remains pervasive in several parts of South Kalimantan, with visibility dropping to approximately 10 meters in some areas on Thursday afternoon, according to Raden Rafiq, the director of the South Kalimantan chapter of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi). Rafiq noted that the situation appears to be deteriorating and is expected to worsen further.

He criticized the government's response, contending that it has primarily focused on disaster response rather than addressing the root causes of the recurring fires. Rafiq emphasized that forest and land fires are primarily due to environmental mismanagement, not natural factors alone. He stressed that the continuous fires on peatlands, exacerbated by dry conditions, are contributing to the thick haze now affecting South Kalimantan.